INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP)

Keeping their pick a closely guarded secret until the last
minute, the Cavs stunned experts - and their fans - by selecting
UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall selection
in the NBA draft.

It was the third straight year Cavs general manager Chris Grant
went outside the box in the first round. Two years ago, Cleveland
took forward Tristan Thompson with the fourth pick - after taking
guard Kyrie Irving first - and selected guard Dion Waiters in the
same spot a year ago.

With speculation centered on them likely taking either Kentucky
center Nerlens Noel or Maryland's Alex Len, the Cavs nabbed the
6-foot-8, 240-pound Bennett, who averaged 16.1 points and 8.1
rebounds in one season for the Runnin' Rebels.

Sitting at a table with family members in New York, Bennett was
caught off guard when commissioner David Stern called his name.

''I'm just as surprised as everybody else,'' Bennett said.

Grant said the team whittled its list of potential candidates
down to a ''couple guys'' by late Wednesday and finalized their
decision to take Bennett following a Thursday morning meeting.

''He was one of those guys when you walked out of the gym when
you saw him play, you kind of went `Wow,''' Grant said. ''He just
does things you don't see other people do, so he was always a guy
highly in our mix throughout the entire season.''

Bennett, the first Canadian player taken with the top pick, was
considered a longshot to land with Cleveland, and was rarely
mentioned as a possibility in the days leading up to the draft. But
the Cavs liked his skills, athleticism and potential.

''He's got a chance to grow in a lot of different areas,'' Grant
said.

Grant said the Cavs listened to trade offers for the pick since
winning the lottery on May 21, and seemed intent on dealing it. But
unable to find a partner or suitable offer, Cleveland passed on big
men Noel and Len, who are both recovering from injuries, and took
Bennett.

Grant said the Cavs strongly considered Noel and Len ''up until
the last two or three days.''

Bennett, too, is rehabbing after undergoing surgery on a torn
left rotator cuff in his shoulder. But the injury didn't scare off
the Cavs, who are determined to get back to the playoffs after
losing 58 games last season and firing coach Byron Scott.

Bennett said he's lifting weights and should be able to play by
August. He also dismissed reports that his weight has ballooned by
over 25 pounds while he's been recovering. He said he's gained
about 15.

Cleveland coach Mike Brown, rehired by owner Dan Gilbert after
he was fired three years ago, has some history with Bennett.
Brown's oldest son had a high school teammate who played in college
with Bennett and Brown was able to get a firsthand look at
Bennett.

Grant, too, scouted Bennett and was impressed with his ability
to finish at the rim.

Bennett is considered a ''tweener'' by draft analysts, but with
a 7-foot-1 wingspan, he's convinced he can play power or small
forward.

''I can contribute at the four, at the three,'' he said.
''There's things I still need to work on, but I feel like I'm a
great teammate, unselfish. I think I can just fit in right away.
Everyone says I'm undersized as a power forward. They said that in
high school and said it in college, and I just did my thing.''

Grant said Bennett could handle himself at small forward, but
he's a true power player.

''You see that in his game from a rebounding and scoring and
attacking the basket mentality,'' Grant said.

In the second round, the Cavaliers selected 19-year-old Russian
swingman Sergey Karasev with 19th pick. The Cavs targeted Karasev
for some time and were thrilled to get the 6-foot-7 Karasev, who
has returned to Europe to play for the Russian national team.

The Cavs addressed their backcourt depth in the second round,
selecting a pair of Pac-12 guards: California's Allen Crabbe and
Arizona State's Carrick Felix.

Crabbe was taken with the No. 31 overall pick, but the Cavs will
trade him to Portland for two future second-round picks. Two picks
later, the Cavs grabbed the 6-foot-6 Felix, who averaged 14.8
points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds for the Sun Devils.

The Cavs have had great success with No. 1 picks. Bennett joins
Austin Carr (1971), Brad Daugherty (1986), LeBron James (2003) and
Irving (11) as players taken by Cleveland first overall - an
impressive roll call.

Grant's track record in drafts is equally notable.

Irving was an easy choice, although there were some questions
about his durability after he played in just 11 games as a freshman
at Duke because of a foot injury. But he's developed into an
All-Star and is among the league's top playmakers.

Thompson, who is also Canadian, was viewed as a project when the
Cavs picked him higher than most expected. But he blossomed in his
second season, averaging 11.7 points and 8.2 rebounds and playing
all 82 games.

Waiters didn't get to play alongside Irving as much as the Cavs
had hoped, but he showed a fearlessness going to the basket and
averaged 14.7 points.

There are questions about Bennett's game, and it's unlikely he
will crack Cleveland's starting lineup next season. But Bennett
promised to work hard and doesn't feel burdened to live up to the
high expectations that come with being the top pick.

''Everybody says it's a lot of pressure,'' he said. ''But at the
end of the day, it's just the game of basketball.

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